Feature Articles
Opening Address by MOS Jasmin Lau at the GovTech Innovation Day
13 November 2025
Good morning everyone,
Thank you for being here today.
We often hear these words, “innovation”, “transformation”.
As a former civil servant, I thought I would share that some of us used to play a game we called ‘Speech Bingo’.
We would watch a minister or permanent secretary make a speech, and check off a list of words that we predicted he would say in his speech – such as “innovation”, “transformation”, and “synergy”.
To be honest, I am quite tired of hearing and saying these words. There will be many other speakers today who will tell you more about innovation and transformation.
Instead, in the next ten minutes, I want to tell you what weighs most on my mind as the Minister-in-charge of GovTech, and what I believe GovTech must do, to make a difference.
Modernising Legacy Systems
First, we need to modernise our legacy systems.
If we do not do this with urgency, we will be stuck. We will pay the price in the years to come.
If you have stayed in your home for more than 10 years, you will know what I mean. Old pipes will leak. Old concrete will break down.
What we then try to do is paint over it. That is the fastest and sometimes cheapest way to handle these issues. But painting over them only gives us some temporary relief. The problems come back, and the bigger issue is that we can’t do anything more or new.
Similarly, for years, our public service has relied on systems that were built in an earlier era, using technology that was state-of-the-art back then. But most of those technologies are outdated today. The coding languages have changed. Many of the engineers who built those systems have since retired.
About one third of our Government systems will be more than 10 years old by 2027.
Some of these systems have become a bottleneck in the way we deliver our services to citizens. Some of them are slow, outdated, and not so capable of supporting the kind of fast-paced, data-driven decision-making that we need today.
We know that modernising these systems is no small task, but it’s essential. It’s not just about replacing old technology with new ones; it’s about creating systems that are flexible and scalable. The systems must grow with us in the years to come.
Simiarly, it is not just about replacing your old, rusty pipes at home, but installing new pipes with extenders that allow us to expand our systems in future if we need to.
It also means that we have to embed digital security measures to ensure that our new systems are resilient and secure. This way, we build trust with our citizens. They feel confident that their data is being safeguardedand that the systems they interact with are dependable.
Now then, it seems like a no-brainer that we should modernise our systems. Why would it be so hard?
The reason is because change is hard. Innovation in the context of modernising legacy systems is hard. Most of us, including myself, resist change.
It is much easier and faster to put on that new coat of paint. But a lot harder and more time-consuming to hack out the wall and fix what is behind it.
Now, I will tell you five common statements that we hear when we try to redesign or modernise our systems. I too, was guilty of thinking and saying some of these statements:
“Things are working fine, please don’t risk any disruptions to our service delivery. (Our transactions are) already very high in volume, please don’t touch.”
“Our staff are already very familiar with the current system and processes, it will be disruptive to use a new one!”
“New systems are very vulnerable, (they will introduce) risky security vulnerabilities, how can you be sure it’s safe?”
“How about you modernise someone else’s system first, then we can learn from them.”
“Can’t you see we are already struggling to cope with our current services? We don’t have resources to work on a parallel modernisation effort!”
I want you to take a pause and think about when was the last time you heard something like that? Or thought or said something like that?
When we stop and listen to these statements, we start to see where the true power and necessity of innovation lie.
Not in the technology. But in our people culture, our processes, our attitude towards risks, and in how we allocate our resources.
So I encourage all of you, as you listen to the speakers and visit the product showcases today, to pause and think.
Think beyond the technology behind the innovations. Think about the mindsets, the culture, that allowed those innovations and changes to happen. Think about the resources that needed to be set aside, and the trade-offs.
Harnessing Data for Better Decision-Making
Now, the second area of interest for me, as Minister-in-charge of GovTech, is Data Management.
It sounds like another dry topic, but all of us agree that data matters. How we manage data matters more.
As we modernise legacy systems, we have a fresh chance at creating an environment where data can be accessible, actionable, and more secure. This can allow us to make more informed and real-time decisions.
If you think of data as the raw ingredients that go into a delicious bowl of laksa, just like how you can’t make great laksa without quality ingredients, you can’t build any form of powerful AI tool or service without good data.
Today, during any conference you attend, you will hear AI being mentioned countless times. But people forget AI requires data. The quality of the AI output you get depends on what you put in.
The better the data, the smarter and more effective our AI applications will be. If our data is fragmented or incomplete, or siloed, then you will not be getting anything out of any fancy AI (projects) that we are trying to do.
So while we are all eager to ride the AI wave, and do something with AI, my mission is to ensure that we do the essential and foundational work first, to ensure that the data we have is collected, organised, prepared and protected in a way that maximises the value we can potentially get out of it.
Nothing that I’m talking about is particularly glamourous and newsworthy , but it is the foundation that must go into each of our systems if we want to get something out of it in the years to come.
It is not fun. In fact, many of the officers who are involved in this work feel the most invisible in their agencies. They are not doing anything new, and they are constantly being harassed and pressured by colleagues. Yet, they are the ones who will give us the pipes and rigs that we will need in the years to come.
Uplifting Capabilities Across the Public Service
Now, to modernise our legacy systems and manage our data effectively, we need to uplift our digital capabilities across the public service, and this is my third area of focus.
In Singapore, we are quite good at learning about and investing in new technologies.
But we are not very good at harnessing the full potential of technology. Or getting the best bang for the buck.
What we need to do now, is to train not just those in technology roles, but also our public service leaders and ministers, so that all of us understand the principles of product development, the risks and payoffs of system modernisation, and the potential and risks of AI.
This is necessary, so that all of us, at every level, can make the right choices and trade-offs.
We want to make sure that every public servant, from frontline workers to senior leaders, has the skills and mindset to use digital technologies to improve the way we work and serve Singaporeans.
What does this look like? Our permanent secretaries have already undergone training sessions, and our ministers will also undergo trainings sessions designed specially for them. This is our own version of SkillsFuture. We must learn, because if we don’t, we can’t make decisions in the best interest of our people.
I invite all of you to join us on our learning journey together.
Conclusion
To every public officer here, I encourage you to commit yourself to learning a new skill or digital tool over the next 90 days, and to think about a process or workflow in your organisation that you could possibly improve with your new skill.
I’m not asking you to actually do it, but to think about it first because this will help you to build some confidence and conviction that change can happen, and the change can start with you.
While innovation may often come in the form of new products, new technologies, and new t-shirts, I want to remind all of us here that real innovation also happens when we do the hard, often thankless work of upgrading the pipes. Upgrading the systems that are deeply entrenched, and carefully rebuilding to meet our future needs.
The real transformation does happen, when we lay the foundation for future progress. This is the work that a lot of us are involved in. Some of us will lay the bricks, while others will install the pipes. Later on, some of us will put the roofs, and install the smart TV. That is why we all work as a team, and there must be a current generation of public officers who do the hard, but foundational work that we do.
In a way, innovation is a continuous and relentless pursuit of making our systems more efficient and resilient, even if the work behind it doesn’t always capture the spotlight.
To all GovTech staff and public officers here, thank you for your commitment and dedication. Specifically, to all officers in our government agencies, who work tirelessly on system modernisation and upgrades, my deepest appreciation to all of you.
I wish all of you an inspiring day ahead. Pick up as many new ideas and skills as possible, and I hope to see you in the year to come. Thank you.